In fraught times the greatest and most radical acts of revolution can be as simple as the creation of community. The simplicity is, in fact, an illusion; carving out a space of comfort, welcome, creativity, and acceptance takes care and consideration. Dorothy Edwards, a Virginia mother and organizer, is setting out to lay just such a foundation with Friends of Dorothy, a new cafe concept which will be a hub and cultural oasis for queer and trans artists and families.
Edwards has been ruminating on the idea of opening “a joyful, inclusive, family-friendly space where LGBTQ+ folks and our allies can feel truly seen, safe, and celebrated” for over a year. She explains to What Now DC that while she worked out the logistics and built out a business plan, she had felt some hesitation.
“I’ve just kind of been sitting on it, scared-fear of failure, fear of rejection, feeling insecure.” she states.
However, World Pride gave her the inspiration and motivation she’d been waiting for. “When my family went to Pride, it gave me the push. If I’m going to do something for my community like this, why not now-if you’re going to do it, now’s as good a time as any. I was just tired of being scared and I think I got a push and a reminder of why I wanted to do this from the beginning when I was at Pride.”
Friends of Dorothy is still a work in progress. Edwards has a Go Fund Me to raise funds for the endeavor, and while she has not yet located a storefront, she is actively scouting potential homes for the cafe. The establishment is very much a love letter to the community, and Edwards plans to keep it local. She states: “We definitely want to be in Central Alexandria. That’s where my family lives and that’s where I started my queer moms’ group. We want to keep it right here.“
Java, Edwards explains, is a great way to bring people together. “Coffee, food, has always been a tool for gathering, a tool for community building, a tool for connecting and when I thought about a space for my queer and trans community, it was kind of a no-brainer. What better way than food, coffee, and art?”
While Friends of Dorothy will invite visitors to sate their hunger for community, art, and culture, it won’t be neglecting the treats and caffeine. Edwards describes her vision for the menu as: “Cafe lite-alongside your standard coffee drinks, I’d like to get some beer and wine options, but I don’t want it to feel like a bar. We’ll have baked goods, light sandwiches, maybe soups. My goal is to use queer bakers, coffee roasters- we have a trans winery in the area…this is how I’m hoping to build the menu and the offerings.”
Edwards hopes to make her cafe a jubilant place, full of possibility. She describes her vision for the space, saying it will be “funky, mix and match, which is what I think of when I think about queer and trans art and expression–I don’t want it to feel limited. I want people to feel like there’s no boundaries on our hopes and dreams-throw anything at the wall and try it. Somewhere inviting, colorful, and joyful, inspired, and safe to try anything.”
Art will be a central component of Friends of Dorothy. Edwards plans to make it a very interactive element, providing queer and trans artists with the chance to showcase their talents, alongside enjoying each others’ gifts. She states: “I have 2 ideas for the main artwork: I want to commission a mural for the main focal point of queer and trans activists and icons throughout history. I have a short list of muralists I’m feeling inspired by-I’m hoping to commission a queer artist. The rotating art exhibit will fill the walls, maybe monthly, with the works of a local queer or trans artist. They can sell their art…it will change pretty frequently.”
Edwards is cautiously optimistic about opening Friends of Dorothy within a year. “I’m really pushing hard for it”, she states.
Follow Friends of Dorothy’s story and development on its official Instagram. The cafe promises to be a welcome and warm addition to the Alexandria community Edwards and her wife have chosen to call home. As Edwards eloquently states of the concept’s purpose and atmosphere: “Walk outside of the door and the world puts limits on our identities, come in the door and there are no barriers.”
